Bohemians were officially crowned League of Ireland champions for the eighth time in the club's proud 119 year history when fighting out a draw with bottom club Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds on Friday night.

There were celebrations at the final whistle from the huge Bohemians following as skipper Owen Heary stepped forward to receive the Premier Division trophy.

And the cheers were even louder for manager Pat Fenlon who has now made it a remarkable five titles as a manger and three as a player. Bohs deservedly go into next season's Champions' League - four points ahead of second-placed Shamrock Rovers.

Before their biggest crowd of the season it was no surprise that Bray boss Eddie Gormley chose to select an understrength side against the team who last night claimed their eleventh League of Ireland title and their first back-to-back.

Just hours before the game the Seagulls were informed that Gormley's bottom of the table club had to be on stand-by for a possible promotion/relegation play-off against Drogheda United on Tuesday.

Inevitably the game itself was an anti-climax although both Conor Powell and Joseph Ndo had long range efforts for the visitors wide of the target in the early stages.

Bray did have a chance to break the deadlock on 31 minutes when defender Brian Shelley miscued a clearance to allow striker Paul Byrne to get in an effort blocked by 'keeper Brian Murphy.

The 26 year old Murphy,playing his last match for the Phibsboro club is now on his way to Roy Keane's Ipswich Town on January 1. Yesterday called up to Giovanni Trapattoni's side for the vital World Cup play-off games against France, Murphy was a spectator for most of the evening.

Bohemians eventually took the lead on 69 minutes when a misdirected header by Bray 'keeper Brian Kane outside his box fell kindly for former Seagulls striker Jason Byrne to hook home his shot into the unguarded goal from 20 yards for his 22nd goal of the season.

But Bray were level on 74 minutes when Mexican defender Alejandro Reyes slotted slotted home from the edge of the box after Dane Massey had headed back a corner from Gareth Coughlan on the left.

Bray Wanderers: Kane; Pender, Reyes, Mulcahy, Cronin (Knight 86); O'Neill, Tuohy, Brennan, Massey; Byrne (Mulroy 76), Coughlan.

Bohemians: B Murphy; Cronin, Deegan, Shelley (Heary 86), Powell; A Murphy, Keegan, Ndo, Brennan (Rossiter 86); J Byrne, Madden (Crowe 73).

Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).